By Gaylan DuBose, Marianthe Colakis

Description

This workbook for advanced high school Latin students is designed to aid students to read Latin. The first 10 chapters systematically review all of Latin grammar. The remaining chapters present rhetorical devices, scansion and meter, and passages for reading comprehension. The passages are taken from a wide variety of authors and offer practice for students preparing to take the SAT II, the NLE, and the A.P.^* Latin tests. Every chapter contains exercises for practice and the grammatical and sytactical explanations are keyed to an appendix which contains the forms of Latin words.

A Plethora of Passages: Over 75!

Special Features

• An introduction which explains how to read a previously unseen passage of Latin
• All grammatical concepts from the nominative case to the subjunctive of attraction are explained
• Each chapter contains exercises based on the information presented
• Each chapter contains passages of Latin which feature the concepts presented in the chapter
• A timely epilogue on the events of September 11, 2001
• Chapters on rhetorical devices and scansion/meter included
• A full grammatical appendix of Latin forms

Author Bios

Marianthe Colakis holds a PhD in Classics from Yale University. She has taught at Trinity College (Hartford), Queens College, Brooklyn College, and Davidson College. Much of her scholarly work has involved modern adaptations of classical myths and tragedies; her first book was The Classics in the American Theater of the 1960’s and Early 1970’s (1993). In recent years, she has turned her efforts toward development of pedagogical materials. Her book Excelability in Advanced Latin (2003) has been used successfully by Latin teachers across the USA. Gaylan DuBose earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with high honors in English at the University of North Texas and a Master of Arts Degree in Classics from the University of Minnesota. He taught Latin and English for thirty-two years before retiring in May 1997. He remains actively involved in Junior Classical League at the area, state and national levels. He lives in Austin, Texas, and is currently working on two other books.

Comments and Reviews

Lest title or names of authors should leave you in any doubt, this is a book from the states, and very much aimed at the US market. The bulk of the book is a review of grammar, accompanied by a wide range of passages from both prose and verse authors. These are used to focus students on specific grammar points, although there is also a wider aim to work on fluent reading at sight. The explanations seem clear enough, perhaps with a little more formality than CLC. Much use is made of both multiple choice and then comprehension questions focused on the topic under consideration. There is certainly plenty to make students think about the language and teachers might well find they could make selective use of material to supplement their chosen course. There is a particularly interesting section on rhetorical devices, metre and scansion, once again accompanied by a range of passages to illustrate and test. This is followed by a section of comprehension passages, which might well be used to ease students into working on unseens, with questions on both grammar and content. Finally, there is a selection of 'free response passages', that is, a passage followed by 2 or 3 short essay questions for students to get their teeth into after 13 sections of carefully guided and focused work. Although independent learners might well appreciate such an approach (along with the appendix of Latin forms and a vocabulary), this is not a book with which students in the UK are likely to feel comfortable. However, it is easy to see how teachers might make selective use of the numerous (mostly unadapted) selections.

— Tim Wheeler
JACT #3 Autumn 2004